GROVES FOOTBALL: Despite late start, Groves' new head coach not looking for excuses

Nathan Fordyce/For the Savannah Morning News

Tuesday

Aug 20, 2019 at 6:00 PM

After going much of the offseason without a head coach, Groves High School finally tabbed their man in James Latimore in late July. He is in charge of a fresh start for a Groves team that won just one game a year ago.

Latimore came in from Macon County, where he was an assistant, and replaced Michael Martin after five seasons as the head coach.

Under Martin, the Rebels went just 10-40 with one lone winning season coming in 2014, Martin's first season as the head coach. Despite the recent struggles, Groves Athletic Director Xaiver Woods said this coming season is not meant to be a rebuild.

"We are a team that is not in the rebuilding stage, but we’re definitely in a turnaround stage," said Woods, who had been the interim head coach until Groves hired Latimore.

Woods said the Rebels are relying on a group of guys that have been there before and know "it's time to put in the dirty work" to try and right the ship.

One of the key proponents for the upcoming season will be replacing De'Shaune Moorer on the offensive side of the ball. Woods said Moorer accounted for well over 50 percent of the offense but no longer having that one guy could be a benefit.

"He did so much and we ran so much through him," Woods said of Moorer. "But now it's better in a sense because you don't have anyone to key on now. We have an opportunity to let a lot of people shine."

Groves will hope that seniors Craig Fredrick and Dontay Uter will lead the charge. Fredrick is in line to start at quarterback and defensive back. Uter will be roaming the middle of the field on defense.

Woods said that the biggest battles in camp will be the running backs (Lindsey Baker and Troy Hayes) and in both trenches. Woods stated in July that the Rebels had eight guys battling on the offensive line and six on the defensive side with the hope of each being interchangeable.

Latimore reported that the roster has grown from just 25 players to 50.

With Latimore coming in, the Rebels are expected to spread it out a little more with the expectation of playing at a faster pace than they have come accustomed to. And with the up-tempo, the Rebels are looking to improve on a season where they averaged less than 10 points per contest.

"At any given time, we need to be in the end zone multiple times a game," Woods claimed. "That's what we're focusing on."

During the Savannah-Chatham Public School System's annual Football Media Day on Aug. 13, Latimore said of his recent hiring, "I'm wide eyed and bushy tailed and ready to go."

He said the players already have bought into the new system. Even with the late hiring of a head coach, Latimore said he's not the type of guy to lower his standards and expectations. He wants players to rise to the challenge.

The Rebels' recent struggles are well known, but Woods wanted to make an emphasis that sometimes the win-loss record can be overstated.

"The record doesn't matter. We want to show growth," said Woods. "We want to show that we're getting better every game."